Famous countryside

Kinh Bac alluvium

Kinh Bac land is built up by the alluvium of the Red River and many other rivers in the region. Especially the four rivers that all carry the word "Duc": Thien Duc - Duong River, Nguyet Duc - Cau River, Nhat Duc - Thuong River, Minh Duc - Luc Nam River. From the layers of alluvium, Kinh Bac - Bac Ninh land has crystallized a deep cultural value system, which is proof that "what overcomes the weight of time will become priceless".

Sparkling Quan Ho culture. Photo: Tran Phan.

In the Chronicle of the Dynasties, historian Phan Huy Chu (1782-1840) once concluded: "Kinh Bac has towering mountains and many winding rivers, and is the upper part of our country. The scenery in Bac Ha and Lang Giang is more beautiful. The literature in Tu Son and Thuan An is more abundant. The good soil gathers there, so there are more beautiful places, the quintessence gathers there, and many famous officials are born. Because the important spirit of the North is emitted, it is different from other places..."

The cultural heritage of Bac Ninh is difficult to measure but must be felt through the depth of history, through the aspirations passed down from generation to generation. Going back in time, today's generation cannot help but be proud of the quintessence that our ancestors painstakingly built and passed down in each village, relic, through each folk song, ritual, game... In the vastness of the heritage treasure, Quan Ho shines brightly like a precious gem. Not only is it the lyrics of love songs, Quan Ho is also a way of life, a philosophy of life filled with morality and affection.

Therefore, it is not by chance that Quan Ho Bac Ninh folk songs were honored by UNESCO as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity. It is the recognition of a culture that takes kindness, courtesy and affection as the guiding principles in communication and community relationships. Also from Quan Ho, the qualities and character of Kinh Bac people become a cultural symbol: both elegant and tactful in lifestyle, and active and dynamic in trade. A beauty that is both profound of Bac Ha scholars and gallant and elegant of Thuong Kinh lifestyle. The character of Kinh Bac people is like a brand that is cherished and preserved as a cultural constant that transcends time...

Along with intangible cultural heritage, Bac Ninh is also a land that marks many glorious milestones with countless golden names, glorious and glorious achievements still imprinted on brocade paper, many material traces from deep underground to pagodas, temples, mausoleums, river wharves still present silently and sacredly. Those are the mausoleum and temple of the Ancestor Kinh Duong Vuong, Luy Lau ancient citadel, Dau pagoda - the oldest Buddhist center in Vietnam, Do Temple - the place to worship the enlightened kings of the Ly dynasty who opened the Dai Viet civilization, the Nhu Nguyet front line with the heroic "Nam Quoc Son Ha" song, the majestic Xuong Giang battlefield... Each relic is an epic chapter, a living testimony of the sacred spirit of the converging mountains and rivers.

Throughout the history of building and defending the country, the national liberation movements from Hai Ba Trung to Ly Nam De all ended in Luy Lau, Long Bien... although they gained temporary independence, they forever engraved the tradition of indomitable strength. In the following centuries, Kinh Bac was a solid fence of the capital Thang Long. Kinh Bac people both developed the economy and culture of a Northern region famous for its elegance and chivalry, and contributed to building a common prosperity for the whole country. During the resistance war against France, outstanding children with patriotic spirit such as Nguyen Cao, Hoang Hoa Tham... followed by Ngo Gia Tu, Nguyen Van Cu became typical examples crystallizing the heroic spirit of their homeland and laid the first bricks to initiate the revolutionary movement on this land.

The thousands of years of history have left Bac Ninh today with its own values ​​and beauty. If we have to name a silent but enduring source that has created the character and depth of the soul of the Kinh Bac - Bac Ninh people, we cannot fail to mention Buddhism. The stream of compassionate light took root in the land of Luy Lau more than two thousand years ago, then merged, harmonized, spread, and permeated deeply into the thinking, lifestyle, and subconscious of the Kinh Bac community.

During the Ly Dynasty, Buddhism not only developed brilliantly in ideology but also flourished in architecture and art, becoming the national religion with famous landmarks imbued with the spirit of Dai Viet humanity and openness such as: Phat Tich Pagoda, Dam Pagoda, Tinh Lu Pagoda... Zen ideology continued to reach its peak during the Tran Dynasty, when King Tran Nhan Tong, after defeating the Mongols twice, gave up the throne and went to Yen Tu Mountain to found the Truc Lam Zen sect. The King and his two disciples Phap Loa and Huyen Quang founded a Zen sect that entered the world, harmonizing religion and life with the profound Vietnamese philosophy of "cu tran lac dao" - living in the midst of everyday life but still being happy in religion.

Like an underground stream that permeates every layer of cultural sediment, nurturing the spiritual life and philosophy of Kinh Bac people, the flow of Buddhism is not interrupted, but continues to be passed down through historical stages with famous pagodas such as Vinh Nghiem, But Thap, Bo Da... Today, Buddhist thought continues to circulate, becoming a refuge for faith, for souls who love, live slowly and understand more.

Future aspirations

The nation's history has experienced important turning points, from Ly Cong Uan moving the capital to Thang Long, to the Buddhist Emperor Tran Nhan Tong entering the world to propagate Buddhism, followed by major changes in the country during the renovation period... And today, Bac Ninh is facing a new beginning where solidarity, intelligence, bravery and love for the homeland will decide the future.

In the minds of Kinh Bac people, Bac Ninh and Bac Giang, although sometimes merged and separated in terms of administrative boundaries, have never been far apart in the flow of culture, in the solidarity of compatriots, in the thousand-year historical source of the land of talented people. Since King Minh Mang named Bac Ninh province in 1831, Bac Giang was separated in 1895, then in 1962 the two provinces merged into Ha Bac province and in 1997 they were separated again, until now after more than a quarter of a century, Bac Ninh and Bac Giang are reunited.

The merger of the two provinces today is not simply a "return to the past" but a path to the future. This is also an opportunity to break free from old habits, build a balanced, humane and liberal development model, where cultural traditions are both a spiritual foundation and a development resource, where modernity is not only flashy through growth indicators but also the vision and ability to awaken inner strength, promoting sustainable creativity.

Bac Ninh owns more than 3,600 relics, of which nearly 1,500 are ranked, including: 11 special national relics and relic clusters, 322 national relics and 1,096 provincial relics; 24 national treasures; 6 intangible cultural heritages recognized by UNESCO - the most in the country including: Quan Ho folk songs; Ca Tru; Huu Chap tug-of-war rituals and games; practice of the Vietnamese Mother Goddess worship; Then ritual practice of the Tay and Nung people; Vinh Nghiem pagoda woodblocks. Along with nearly 1,400 traditional festivals, dozens of unique craft villages and a strong team of intellectuals, artisans and artists are important potentials and resources for developing a creative economy.

With a team of leaders who are brave, culturally aware, good at management, and have the desire to awaken the inner strength of the people, the new Bac Ninh province - where heritage, culture and intelligence crystallize - will certainly enter a new chapter of prosperity and brilliance, affirming the worthy stature of "a land of fame" in the thousand-year-old bloodline of Vietnamese culture.

Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/mien-que-danh-thom-nuc-tieng-postid421012.bbg